Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Stress can be defined as an emotional and physical strain caused by external factors which result in mental stress symptoms such as tension, irritability, feeling of tiredness, insomnia( lack of sleep), inability to concentrate etc. Most of us are facing the stress in various occasions of life. People manage to overcome it with various techniques such as Yoga, Breath exercise, or by providing mental nourishment. Here in this post, I would like to explain about some foods that can help you to fight stress. I dedicate this post to all house wives and professionals who struggle to find a rapid simple remedy during their working hours.

CoffeeTake a cup of coffee. Coffee contains caffeine, which is a xanthine alkaloid that acts as a psychoactive stimulant drug. The work stress can easily over come with an intake of one cup of coffee.

PapayaEat ripen Papaya. Cut it into pieces, keep it in refrigerator for 10 minutes and eat it slowly. Researchers at the University of Alabama found 200 milligrams of vitamin C in Papaya, twice a day nearly stopped the flow of stress hormones in rats.

MangoEat fresh Mango, which is cut into small pieces. If the Mango is little sour then, sprinkle a pinch of salt over that.

Peppermint Tea The fresh feeling generated by the odor of Peppermint will act as a stimulant to your brain. Close your eyes and sip a cup of Peppermint Tea slowly.

DatesEating fresh ripen Dates with Black Tea, will calm your mind. Dates are rich in potassium content, which are very essential for a healthy nervous system. Research reveals that higher potassium intake of about 400 mg can reduce the risk of strokes by 40%. Moreover, dates are low in sodium content, thereby preventing the blood pressure levels from rising.

AvocadosAvocados is another choice to fight stress. Avocado fat is 66 percent monounsaturated, and gram-for-gram, the green fruit has about 35 percent more potassium than a banana. Monounsaturated fatty acids, and potassium will help to combat high blood pressure.

Cool Lemon JuiceDrink one cup of cool fresh lime juice, which is a rich source of Vitamin C. Vitamin C has proven records as a neuro modulator by releasing into the extracellular fluid of the brain to regulate dopaminergic and glutamatergic transmission.

Hi, that's an interesting list of food to beat stress. Yes, coffee works to a certain extent to alleviate the build-up of stress, but this only works for coffee junkies like me.

However, for people whose lives are not dependent on coffee for survival, the reverse is actually true. Caffeine, which stimulates our alertness can aggravate anxiety which is exactly what a person under stress should be avoiding.

Too bad for people like me :(

Perhaps, we should all engage in some food for the mind...and fingers!

Coffee is really an effective beverage especially for people working off the clock. well, I always drink coffee because of its antioxidants. But speaking of antioxidants, black rice also has a lot of it inside each grain! I just learned that black rice contains more antioxidants than blueberries of the same amount of serving!